If you came here, as I did, expecting to read something funny, educational, or disturbing about a Unix CommandLine environment, leave now. :-)

A beautiful and frankly awe-inspiring Japanese animated film, released in 1996. The storyline focuses on a few days in the lives of the members of Section 9, a government agency located in Hong Kong of 2029. Quite a bit happens.

The undercurrent focuses on the nature of memory and consciousness, artificial intelligence, the future of the Net, and the utter transformation of humanity (TransHumanism).

As I said, quite a bit happens.

It also may well be the most beautiful piece of Japanese animation, both in terms of art direction and cinematographic direction.

If you have the option, see the subtitled version. The dubbing on the American version was not appropriate. -- BillTozier

Second that opinion. Unfortunately, almost every time I see a copy for sale or in a video store, it's the dubbed version. -- RobHarwood

The DVD of it that I have has the option to have dubbed soundtrack, Japanese soundtrack with English subtitles, or just Japanese soundtrack. Beautiful.

If you liked the film, then you will likely also enjoy the two series which were based on the original manga, Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex and ... 2nd Gig. There were also two movie sequels, ...: Innocence and ...: Stand Alone Complex Solid State Society. Many of the characters are cyborgs (including the lead). -- IanOsgood
It also influenced the Wachowski brothers in their making of TheMatrix.
CategoryMovieCategoryOffTopicCategoryScienceFiction